Networking P2 Programs in
EPA Region 8

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Last updated:
January 19, 2001 

Participants: Parry Burnap (CO), Dennis Clarke (SD), Kathy Dale (CO), Lara Dando (MT), Laura Estes (MT), Danielle Fuligni (EPA-DC), Pat Jordan (WY), Mark Lambrecht ( MT), Todd MadFadden (MT), Janis Storbo (MT), Mike Vogel (MT), Sonja Wallace (UT), Linda Walters (EPA-CO) Facilitator: Louise Forrest (Settlement Center)

South Dakota - Concentrates efforts in the ag sector, subs out many efforts to accomplish more with less, always looking for networking opportunities. Also working with P2 in schools, self-assessment programs, watersheds - Peaks to Prairies Watershed Conference, Home*A*Syst and Farm*A*Syst, precision farming, Bootstraps Program, animal confinement, rural community reduce reuse recycle and water source program, industrial outreach through the School of Mines.

Wyoming - Not just p2 also compliance assistance. Started a newsletter to raise awareness of the program. Checklists for small business. Most compliance in WY comes from EPA intervention so EPA is the bad guy. Oil & gas people are the biggest problem, need a good way to reach that sector. Previously did large mining operations that worked well. Need to build trust. Produced TV PSA to raise public P2 awareness.

Montana: Working with small business, consumers and youth, tribal, and local governments. Some programs: on-site TAP, EcoStar Awards, small business self-audit guide, newsletter, Home*A*Syst, real estate course, MT private land stewardship program, youth internships, tribal through EJP2 student projects and tribal leadership teams. Plans for local government P2 guidebook and ecostar award, vendor equipment loan program, loss control P2, etc.

MT DEQ: Low interest loan program for energy efficiency; source reduction, recycling and market development; Source Water Assessment Program in small communities; biofuel and lubricant research; small business assistance program - regulatory assistance; watershed delineation - locating and mapping watersheds at risk. P2 partnerships - large industries; providing P2 incentives through regulations (i.e. autobody shop project); SBAP (air quality).

Utah: Planning for the Olympics - partnering with SLOC (sustainable facilities, materials management, environmental education, energy and water), EPHA, NRCC 2002, DEQ Internal Group. Green Label Program - will do "Utah Grown" program in the ag sector. National Park Service - Glen Canyon and chemical tracking system (software program). On-site source reduction assessments; Tele 2000; recycling - America Recycles Day; Utah P2 Association and Utah Recycling Advisory Council.

Colorado: Internal - Change agent program from control to prevention; making the world safe for P2; P2 included in director’s evaluations; environmental leadership program - pilot project for collecting data after compliance interaction. External: Biannual forum, energy efficiency grants program, P2 Smart Growth Tool Kit, P3 (Pollution Prevention Partnerships), industry-specific fact sheets, on-site and phone technical assistance.

Region 8 EPA: Reorganized (see attached chart), Linda is 100% P2. She wants from us: what should the new director know about our programs, case studies of great things that have been done in our states. OPRA Office of Partnerships and Regulatory Assistance.

EPA National: Has not heard from Region VIII for next PPIS schedule for 2000. Competitive vs. Core funding, etc. EPA provides 2 forums for state participation: 1) state media association forum - educate to bring back to local P2 programs; 2) state and tribal toxics action - states give input on directions. ISO 14000 - international environmental management standards

Some Regional Issues Identified:

• Growth in the west and pollution impact - growth planning structure
• Mining - Center of Excellence?
• Marketing - region looks alike, regional effort, once per week column
• How can Center save me time and help me build relationships?
• How to network in states like Montana, Wyoming
• Community recycling programs
• Information on how to get oil and gas to listen
• Implementing a P2 partnership with industry
• Local Government Initiatives
• P2 integration training and doing
• National P2 Act Amendment
• National Park P2
• What can new director do to help with limited dollars and resources

Partner/Provider Comments

Providers - providing direct technical assistance to industry, small business, etc.

Partners - supporting P2 principals, a partner in the implementation of P2. i.e. trade associations (working with providers)

The group would like to combine these in the database and refer to them as "contacts"

List of potential contacts: Natural Resource Conservation Service, Extension Service, Water Associations, Trade Associations, Manufacturer’s Associations, Chamber of Commerce, League of Cities and Towns, Association of Counties, geological survey, Contractors, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mining, Small Business Development Center, MET, Mamtech, Conservation Districts, P2 yellow pages, Rocky Mountain Environmental Directory

Ideal Center Elements Identified by Group:

• Partner/Provider Database should become a "Contact Directory" and include: siccode, key words, geographic location, description of function and relevance to P2 - i.e. organizations to invite to conference, spray coding regulations, etc. Database should be current and kept that way. Hi-lite new ones on the web.
• Marketing P2 regionally for economy of effort and $$ - how to sensitize the marketplace, coordinated effort, spread over the year, tell PPIS success stories, consider target audiences
• Evaluation - models for evaluation, can take to governments for approval
• Library - clearinghouse of information, list resources from states and how to get them
• Provide an infrastructure to pass on to those who come after
• Center of Excellence chosen by group
• More regional trainings - mining, industrial, regulatory integration, other areas not done - bring in consultants
• On-site technical assistance assistance - continuing education for tech assistance providers
• Information dissemination: heads-up, digest - need ability to consolidate and summarize. Provide suggestions for directing information - i.e. pass this to ag, Water Conservation groups
• Coordination conduit from EPA to the providers to eliminate duplication of effort - can we get this info?
• Coordinate an annual roundtable

Strengths--

• Willingness to help and to try
• Leadership/$$
• Access to media equipment/development
• Customer service
• Access to resources
• Diversity of each state’s program
• Responsiveness
• We are nice
• Different talents and abilities/services

Weakness--

• Busyness of individual programs - hard to be proactive
• Businesses not having access to web, don’t focus toward businesses
• Use - will it be used? By who, what message?
• Road map of where to go as a Center
• Get rid of surveys
• Overcoming barrier of assistance going to another state - roundtables & websites help

Vogel’s Summary of Ideal Center Elements (items hi-lited require input from states)

1. Fine-tune regional networking - coordinate/conduit/direct info, website/homepage
2. Maintain/expand "provider" database
3. Create P2 partner/ "contact directory" - add and review
4. Regional Reference Collection - get new materials to Center & old ones we don’t have
5. Regional marketing support - define elements, P2 week 99
6. Evaluation/Measurement Support - compilation of formats, tools
7. Mini-grant opportunities to states for: trainings, publications, measurement, marketing, regional center of excellence, initiative
8. Regional Center of Excellence - what should the emphasis be
9. National Center of Excellence - Autobody
10. Roundtable/phone conference calls

Center of Excellence

What can each center provide to a national network that’s unique to their center, i.e. audience group or industry center? How can each state contribute to that process? Each Center gets one done-to-death industry (level 1 Center of Excellence) and one they choose as the region being able to uniquely contribute (level 2 Regional Center of Excellence).

Proposed: Region 8 is a Level 1 Center for the autobody industry (Region 9 is hospitality; NEWMOA - Metal finishing, Note: I will get information to you about other Centers)

Web site idea: Keywords of CofE on web page. Show map that Links to other regional centers

Regional Center of Excellence ideas - small business, mining, construction, growth, oil & gas, rural communities, national parks, agriculture, government-federal facilities

Construction - Chosen as Level 2 Center of Excellence in Region 8

Possible Focus List: sustainable building products, secondary markets for debris, deconstruction - disassembly of a building, waste reduction/minimization, sustainable development, community design, energy efficiency, residential, commercial, industrial, roads - sand and gravel operations

Possible Elements - demonstration project, new publications, bibliography of publications, training, peer match - linking one business to another, cutting edge technology, innovation, R&D, marketing, gap analysis, agencies & organizations, train the trainer for construction industry, evaluation case study comparison - Ithaca study, MS green building

What states can contribute to construction center of excellence:

• Sonja - list of groups on sustainable building, train the trainer training
• Center - Project description of center of excellence, statistics, justification to work on it, ask other regional centers for their information
• Parry - Mini-grant video on sustainable construction (no more than 12 minutes)
• Dennis - books from national highway & on sediment reduction
• Linda - training material or trainer for deconstruction

Next Roundtable hosted by Utah - Aug 11-13, 1999 in Park City (Center to get costs from this year to Sonja for grant writing)

Interest Areas for Mini-Grants $5000:

• Center of Excellence activities
• Mining - Parry, scoping study, contracted out $10-15,000; everyone talk to mining associations
• Marketing video
• P2 financing workshop for loan officers
• NEWMOA train the trainer in Denver, money to get providers there, E2-P2 software
• Regulatory integration training
• Measurement effectiveness

Sonja to draft a letter in support of Judy Wong for Region 8 Director to be signed by those who would like.